Clarifying Cleansers

Thursday, 17 October 2013

So I am becoming a skincare obsessive. I love finding a great new product which really makes a difference to my skin! I adore a good cleanser and have my favourites for when it comes to remove make-up (see: Emma Hardie, Coconut Oil, Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser). However when it comes to post-make up removal or greasy mornings I have my absolute favourites which I would suggest to anyone who has combination-oily skin or suffers from break-outs so need something with a few more potent ingredients!

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser (£18) - This is my second bottle of this stuff which proves how much I love it and can honestly say that I will always repurchase this cleanser. At £18 it isn't the cheapest however nor is it cry-worthy expensive. I love this gel cleanser after my Emma Hardie to clarify or on mornings! This cleanser contains mint, which is wonderfully refreshing and Salicylic Acid to de-congest the skin. It is not at all stripping but removes excess oils. I especially reach for this on any hot clammy summer mornings as it keeps the grease at bay! Due to the Salicylic Acid it keeps spots at bay so with regular use you really do start to see your skin clearing up and when without it my skin immediately looks very unhappy. Hence the must-have repurchase as my skin just loves this product! The only thing to note however is that if you have dry skin then this probably isn't for you as even though it is clarifying and may help with spots, I suggest feeding your skin a creamier or more hydrating cleanser than this one.

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser (£35) - Now this cleanser is a little pricey and I am not sure how much this rivals my beloved Origins cleanser! This cleanser is packed with de-congesting, clearing and clarifying ingredients such as French Green Clay, Vitamin E Ester and Frankincense. The cleanser is a runny/odd consistency unlike any other cleanser I have used and smells like hair dye which is weird but you get used to it! It works like the Origins cleanser and removes excess oils while giving the skin a good cleanse and getting rid of all excess dirt. I find that this works extremely well at keeping oils at bay throughout the day and break-outs are less frequent. However how this differs to the Origins cleanser is that this almost feels hydrating as well as clarifying so would be suited to all skin-types. So perhaps if you have dry blemish-prone skin then try to grab a sample (or take the scary expensive plunge) of this cleanser as it may be the one for you and it may be the one for my older-self when my skin will be (hopefully) less oily but will still need a deep cleanse!

Yves Rocher Sebo Specific Deep Cleansing Foaming Cream (£6.30) - Finally, an affordable option! This is a very new item in my skincare wardrobe but it has already made an impact! The first ingredient in this cleanser is Kaolin, which is usually one of the top ingredients in clay masks which is perhaps why this is an amazing cleanser. Now this isn't one for every day as I do not want to overly strip my skin but it is great for particularly greasy/spotty mornings. It is creamy however is a bit gritty so works as a mild exfoliater also, win win! What is the best thing about this cleanser? It doubles up as a mask! I like to massage this into my skin, leave it to work its magic for ten minutes then rinse it off! Clean and clear skin soon follows after a bit of this action twice a week. Plus the price is pretty amazing for a basically 2-1 product with a great ingredient such as Kaolin in it! I would say, depending how you use it, that this would be good for all skin types but particularly for blemish-prone skin as kaolin is a true skin saviour!